What Really Happened With the Taylor and Dakota Breakup

You’ve probably seen the tearful TikToks. Or maybe you caught the latest season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu and thought, "Wait, are they actually done this time?" If you’re confused, you aren't alone. The Taylor and Dakota breakup has been a revolving door of "it's over" followed by "we're working on it" for nearly three years.

But by 2026, the dust has finally settled.

Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen aren't just taking a breather anymore. They are living completely separate lives. This isn't just another dramatic cliffhanger for the cameras. It is a messy, real-world split involving a toddler, a custody battle, and a very public move to a new city.

The Breaking Point Nobody Saw Coming

Honestly, most fans expected them to stay in that toxic loop forever. They’d break up on a Tuesday and be posting family photos by Friday. But things shifted after their son, Ever True, was born in March 2024.

The "bliss" didn't last.

Taylor eventually dropped the bombshell: she found out Dakota had been lying. And not just small white lies. We’re talking about "staying at another woman's house" level lies. Specifically, a woman named Jenna. Taylor felt like "trash" after realizing Dakota was taking this other woman on actual dates while Taylor was home with the baby.

He called it "protecting her" from the truth. She called it betrayal.

It’s kinda wild when you think about it. Taylor had already gone through a massive, world-shaking divorce from Tate Paul after that soft-swinging scandal. You’d think she would want peace. Instead, she jumped right into another fire. By late 2024, the relationship was basically a ghost. They spent Christmas apart. Taylor was posting about the "painful silence" of a house without a partner, while Dakota was filming himself moving into a new apartment.

Why the Taylor and Dakota Breakup Stuck This Time

Most people get this part wrong. They think it was just about the cheating.

It was deeper.

1. The Marriage Ultimatum: Dakota desperately wanted to get married. Taylor, still scarred from her first marriage and the legal drama that followed her 2023 arrest, wouldn't budge. He felt like she wasn't committed; she felt like he was pressuring her.
2. The Trust Deficit: You can't build a house on sand. Between Dakota’s secret past (did you know he had a whole secret divorce back in 2017?) and the infidelity rumors, Taylor just couldn't find her footing.
3. The "Bachelorette" Factor: In a move that shocked everyone, Taylor was eventually linked to The Bachelorette 2026. You can't exactly go looking for love on national TV if you're still sneaking around with your ex.

The "on-again, off-again" cycle finally hit a wall.

The Messy Reality of Co-Parenting

If you think the breakup was the end of the drama, you haven't been paying attention. In late 2025, reports surfaced that Dakota was dragging Taylor to court over custody of Ever.

It’s heartbreaking.

Taylor has been open about how "excruciating" it is to share a child with two different fathers. She’s processing the grief of losing the "nuclear family" dream for a second time. She even moved out of her Utah home to get a fresh start. New city, new life, same old scars.

Dakota, for his part, has been seen living it up in Las Vegas. He’s claimed he would "do anything" to have his family back, but his actions—and those leaked text messages—tell a different story.

What This Means for You

Watching the Taylor and Dakota breakup play out is a massive lesson in red flags. We often stay in toxic situations because we're afraid of the "silence" that comes after the chaos. Taylor admitted she stayed because she didn't want to be a single mom to three kids.

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But sometimes, the silence is where the healing starts.

If you’re following this saga, the best thing you can do is look at the patterns. Are you staying in something because of love, or because of the idea of what it could be? Taylor chose herself, even if it meant crying every day for months.

Next Steps for Staying Informed:

• Watch the Timeline: Don't believe every "happy" photo. Look at the captions—that's where the real shade happens.
• Check Court Records: If you're into the nitty-gritty, the custody filings in Utah and the Bachelor casting news are the only places you’ll get the unedited truth.
• Prioritize Stability: If you're in a similar "on-off" cycle, Taylor's story is a reminder that a "band-aid baby" never fixes a broken foundation.